Designed by Betty Ruth Burchfield, Little Reb
Making this little mask was so much fun. You can do the same with other molds and create your own design very easily. This little accessory adds much to your Ball gown.
As porcelain shrinks when fired, this mask will be smaller than your pattern below. It is always good to make the mask at the same time you pour your head.
The pattern below is used for the 29” “Midge” doll Head which fits on the 29” Debbie Body.
*Make pattern for mask on a piece of sheer tracing paper similar to illustration and size to fit your doll. It is recommended to trace off your pattern as paper tends to get wrinkled when laying on the wet slip.
You will find the exact pattern in the pattern titled “A Rare Moment” as listed on my website under Patterns at http://www.littlereb.com.
- To achieve the mask, I used one half of the “Midge” head mold using the side with the face. Pour porcelain slip into the mold filling it about halfway and let set until desired thickness is obtained.
- Pour out slip and let slip remaining in mold dry to leather hard stage.
- Cut out pattern to make a stencil. Lightly trace around the mask stencil with a Diamond Perfector. Trace around eyes.
- Remove the stencil and finish cutting out mask being careful not to cut your mold.
- Place the mask on the head you have previously poured to make sure it fits. Press lightly in places where it doesn’t fit the face well. Allow enough room at the top of the eye holes for the eyelashes to show through. If you want the mask to be worn, cut out a small hole on each side of the mask for insertion of thin elastic.
- Fire at 018. Wet clean. Bevel out eyes. Fire to bisque at cone 6. Trace off bisque mask on a piece of paper to make a pattern. Using this as a pattern, cut one piece of felt and when finished embellishing, glue to the back of the mask to prevent the porcelain head and mask from rubbing together when the mask is on.
See illustrations of steps below 1-5 below:
Step one |
Step two |
Step three |
Step four |
Step five |
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Embellishing the Masquerade Mask
Embellishing the mask is so much fun. I encourage you to be creative with your designs. Paint the mask, preferably with Bell’s Porcelain Splash paint and let air dry for two
days. Bake in oven for 30 minutes at 325°. (If you do not have this paint, Delta enamel
paint will do, but do not put in the oven).
When finished painting, spray or paint a finish with polyurethane. You may want to sprinkle a little bit of glitter on some places while the finish is still wet. Embellish your mask with feathers, braid, beads to your taste. Glue a 3/16” dowel 6” long to the bottom side of the mask. Paint dowel and then glue braid around the dowel for decoration. If you want the mask to be worn on the face, insert thin elastic into the hole and tie a knot on the outside of the mask in the elastic. Secure with a little glue. You will want to cover this knot with a bead, braid etc.
Paint design (I used Delta Dream Coat)
Apply Glitter when Gloss Varnish is wet
E6000 Glue, toothpicks, a small dowel cut to size; feathers; braid for trim around mask and dowel.
Glue Dowel to back of Mask securely. Paste a piece of felt on the inside of mask.
If you have any questions, please free to send a stamped address envelope to Betty Ruth Burchfield, “Little Reb” at 235 Jackies Terrace or Email at http://www.littlereb.com.
A Rare Moment Pattern is now available with complete instructions on mask, making shoes, costume, pantaloons, and headdress and hoop petticoat. The 29” “Midge” mold shown in this article was sculpted by Little Reb. Mold is made by Van Hellen’s Custom Mold.
